Deadpool 2's Zazie Beetz and Fifty Shades' Dakota Johnson are in talks to join an as-yet untitled thriller starring Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name), which is being planned for release this time next year. Though he's perhaps best known for his action roles in movies like The Lone Ranger and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Hammer has been making waves in smaller, independent projects lately, including Boots Riley's much buzzed-about upcoming satire Sorry to Bother You.
Like Sorry to Bother You, this upcoming thriller is being produced by Annapurna Pictures, the production company launched by producer Megan Ellison a few years ago, which already has an excellent track record. Previous Annapurna films include Oscar contenders like Zero Dark Thirty, Phantom Thread and American Hustle, and offbeat comedies like Everybody Wants Some!!, Her and Wiener-Dog. Much like fellow rising star A24, Annapurna-produced films have become projects well worth keeping an eye on.
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Per THR, this upcoming thriller is about "a New Orleans bartender whose life starts to unravel as a series of disturbing and inexplicable events happen after he picks up a phone left behind at his bar." The film will be written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Babak Anvari, who made his feature directorial debut with the gripping horror movie Under the Shadow. Lucan Toh of Two & Two Pictures and Christopher Kopp of AZA Films will co-produce with Annapurna. Nothing is yet known about Beetz and Johnson's potential roles, but the movie is planned for a March 29, 2019 release, so expect filming to begin fairly soon.
Beetz is currently best known for her role in FX's critically-acclaimed series Atlanta, but will soon make her debut as the super-lucky mutant Domino in Deadpool 2. She has a three-movie deal in the role, and is also anticipated to appear in Fox's upcoming superhero team-up X-Force. If Deadpool 2 performs as well as pretty much everyone is expecting it to, Beetz could be a major draw by the time Anvari's thriller hits theaters next year.
Regardless of what you might think of the Fifty Shades franchise, the fact remains that Johnson has spent the past few years leading a billion-dollar movie franchise, so she would also be a strong addition to the cast. With the Fifty Shades movies now wrapped up, it would make sense for her to do a few smaller movies with a shot at serious critical acclaim.
We'll keep you updated on this project as more details become available.
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Source: THR